Farewell Thee Love Forever
by Dementia777
Summary: Thy Baited Hooks Shall Tangle Me No Longer -  Couldn't fit the whole title     Yumichika can't help but think the man's name is pretty.  Maybe the only pretty thing about him, but enough to give him a chance for sure.
1. Accidental Meeting

This story has a sad ending. Go back now if you don't like. Truthfully, it wasn't supposed to happen that way, but I had fun and don't want to change it. It was supposed to be cute, but oh well. I think it's actually a good story, this time. Please enjoy reading as much as I enjoyed typing.

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Ikkaku staggered into his crummy one bedroom apartment in the east end of Rukongai, drunk and tired.

It was such a damnable place, he thought. It was hardly big enough for more than a few scant pieces of furniture, which he never could keep long without getting mad and breaking. The only things that he kept were the bare necessities, which shared the space with all the junk that accumulated since his last live in girlfriend.

Forty years of absolutely no cleaning, all piled on top of the floor of conjoined living room, bedroom, and kitchen. His bathroom had a layer of grime and filth that most would find disturbing. He couldn't care less, he only slept in this place.

He lived his life in cheap bars. It was the same thing nearly every night.

When he went to sleep with beer on his breath and scantily dressed women on his mind, he knew nothing would change come tomorrow.

His only way to pay for his addiction at the bars would be to kill anyone who looked like they had heavy pockets, and sometimes he would remember to save enough to pay rent and food costs. It didn't matter to him anymore, though.

Whether or not he had a place to stay or food to eat. There wasn't anything he was looking forward to, most of the time it felt like tomorrow just didn't come and he was reliving the same day and the same thing over and over.

The only thing that ever changed was how much he would drink. How much the bartender would serve him before he'd be kicked out, that was. Tonight, he was glaring daggers every time someone so much as suggested that he should leave, that he couldn't pay for what he was drinking, that he'd had too much. Even the man pouring him glass after glass and selling him bottle after bottle of sake didn't complain once Ikkaku motioned to get his katana out from it's sheath.

The night was cold, but not enough to sober the bald man. His raggedy clothes were bellowing in the wind, they made him look so much smaller than he was. By the time he'd gotten to his apartment complex, he'd become so tired fighting the urge to just pass out from all the alcohol and going against the wind with his clothes acting as parachutes to keep him from reaching his bed, he didn't even care which room he walked in.

It didn't matter to him, when he walked in, that the room was spotlessly clean. It didn't matter to him that nothing in there besides the wallpaper even resembled his residence. It just mattered that there was a bed calling to him, letting him fall face first and sleep.

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Just a few hours later, the owner of the apartment walked in, holding a stained and tattered burlap sack with basic food stuffs. Although he may have expected that the local drunk would one day end up going into his room on accident (or maybe out of lust), it made the raven haired man jump.

"Did I forget to lock the door behind me?"

With all of his vanity, the owner of the apartment thought for sure it was merely lustful desire that attracted the bald man.

"What was his name? It started with an 'I', I think. An "Ick" sound? How fitting for someone so unbeautiful."

The man flipped his shoulder length black hair and walked over to his ugly vanity with a cracked mirror. There was no way in Rukongai for someone like him who was not suited for manual labor or born into a rich family, to obtain beautiful or nice things.

With the ugly things he surrounded himself with, however, he believed his beauty became even greater in contrast. Until he could have fine things, he decided he would be content to live with such an awful accumulation of things.

"Yumichika," he said to himself in the broken mirror. "You are simply beautiful."

Yumichika sat his bag down and went over to the man passed out on his bed, and thought if ugly things would increase how beautiful he looked, then he should certainly keep this one around. That made him chuckle and he bent over to see if the man whose name he never bothered to learn was still breathing.

"Oh, jeez. How much can one person drink?" Yumichika wrinkled his nose and backed away, his unwarranted visitor was certainly still breathing. His breath consisted of nothing but cheap liquor and bar food.

"What am I supposed to do with this?" He leaned over his the bald man, staying clear of his breath, and wondered if he could carry the man without waking him, back to his apartment?

While examining and guessing the weight of the man, Yumichika noticed the bald head of the drunkard was a better mirror than the one he already possessed in his tattered room. He admired his own reflection for a few minutes, cooing over his own image, when the man began to stir.

There was more beautiful things to be doing, Yumichika decided, than getting into fights with irrational, ugly people who are either drunk or have hangovers. He decided to disappear behind the bathroom door.

"What the hell?" The man asked no one. "Why am I here?"

Does he even know whose residence he's in? Yumichika doubted it.

"What a pain in the ass. This isn't my place."

"No duh, ugly," the vain man mumbled low enough so his unwelcome visitor wouldn't hear him.

"Ikkaku, you're a moron."

Yumichika heard the man curse himself and struggle to get up, after which he proceeded stumble over his own feet and walk out, slamming the door on his way. The raven haired man tiptoed to the exit of his apartment (only to make sure he went into his own room) and watched the drunk walk into the correct place this time.

"So, his name's Ikkaku? Kaku is a pretty sound. Not beautiful like Yumichika, or refined like Ayasegawa, but pretty, none the less. Maybe it could be beautiful, if it had some help?"

Yumichika walked back into his apartment, and although he didn't want to sleep on a bed where a drunk had just laid, getting his disgustingly drunk breath on the pillow, he didn't have the patience to clean all the sheets. He couldn't afford to use that time and lose beauty sleep, anyways.

He rested on the bed and was pleasantly surprised. The pillow on one side didn't smell at all tolerable, but once he turned it over, he noticed the man smelled of sweet spice.

"Beautiful."

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Yay, shortness.


	2. Why Not?

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Yumichika's diet consisted of nothing but vegetables that could be grown in bulk. Potatoes, onions, radishes. All of these made him nearly gag as he forced them down, but he needed something for energy.

He would almost prefer to starve and look frail and ugly. Not quite, but almost. His entire line of work was lying and cheating, using his beautiful looks to trick people, then extorting money from them. He wasn't a stranger to the ugly practice of stealing, either. He even sold his body to those who would pay a high enough price.

He didn't possess any accessories, nor any beautiful clothing. Very often, he would be angry to see ugly people in beautiful clothes. He didn't find it fair that the ugly could be more well off than him, truthfully.

There was no way he could afford the things he'd like to have, though. He would love to have enough to buy some type of good, or merely passable foods and nice things to wear. He hated living in such awful ways, even though he made so much effort to fool himself into thinking his life as it was could be increasing his incredible.

He'd been sitting at his tattered vanity nearly all morning, brushing his hair with an unattractive comb that he loathed, and simply thinking. He wasn't ready to go out and earn himself more food.

A knock came at the door that made Yumichika nearly jump off his little worn down stool. No one ever visited, hardly anyone even knew he lived here besides his neighbors, and he surely didn't do anything to disturb the ugly residents of the building, did he? Or at least, he didn't believe so.

The knock came again, persistent and loud. Yumichika sighed, not particularly liking the impatiences of the person at the door, nor wanting to answer it for any reason other than making the annoying visitor leave. It wouldn't be a dishonest statement to say Yumichika didn't much like company at this point in time. He got up, scooted in his stool and answered the door.

"Why are you here?"

"Nice to see you too, Mr. Ayasegawa," the bald drunk who had been in his apartment the night before said. "I left my katana here."

What a strange item for him to miss. A stray katana in his apartment should have been detected within seconds of seeing someone sleeping in his room. "A katana?"

"Listen, I know it's strange since we don't know each other, for something of mine to be in your-"

"It's fine. I know you accidentally slept in my bed last night," Yumichika smiled. He had actually wanted a chance to talk to the mysterious Ikkaku after hearing the prettiness of his name. Quite possibly the only pretty thing about him, now that he thought about it, but it was enough.

"Well, that doesn't make this any less awkward, but at least less explaining. I guess I owe you an apology?"

Yumichika shook his head as to disagree. "Apology is so ugly. Even the word starts with an 'Ape' sound."

"Still, aren't you kinda pissed at me for it?"

"Stop using such ugly terms."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Yumichika wanted to laugh a bit at the others amusing vulgarity, but thought better of it. "If you want to make amends, why don't you come in and talk a bit?"

Ikkaku tilted his head a bit, confused.

"Come on, why not?"

"Just, I thought you hated drunks. I came to apologize before you visited my apartment at a bad time."

"This is a good time? I'd think you'd still have a hangover."

"Not really, alcohol tends to wear off on me really quickly."

Standing at the door was such an ugly way to communicate, Yumichika thought. "I'd really like you to come in, and tell me who told you I hate drunkards."

Ikkaku really wasn't even sure why he bothered to come over and try to apologize to someone with such strange quirks, but it'd be even more difficult to try and weasel his way out of the mess now that he was already here. He walked in reluctantly and sat at a small dining table, which was missing sitting mats and one of it's legs.

Yumichika followed and smiled, which was strange to see on a face who lived in such squalor. "Now, tell me, who told you I hated drunkards?"

"You said that. Or something like it."

"I said it was an unrefined way to use your time. Not to mention the money it must cost, you're one of the people who needs food, aren't you?"

"Yeah, I am. I got plenty of money from beating up idiots who have heavy pockets, though. You need to eat, too. Right?"

"Unfortunately," Yumichika replied. "I have to eat absolutely filthy food every day because there are no beautiful ways to make money in places such as this."

"What's up with you and beauty?"

Yumichika was almost hesitant to answer. Not because he had to think about what aesthetics really meant to him, but rather if he'd be laughed at when he gave the answer. Quietly, Yumichika decided to answer with a question. "What's fighting to you?"

"A way to survive."

"It's all you have here to keep you attached."

"That's kind of a more philosophical way to put it, but I guess so."

"Beauty is what keeps me from just giving up entirely," Yumichika said, avoiding Ikkaku's eyes. He felt strange for putting that out in open air for a complete stranger. He could have easily came up with some half truth that wasn't nearly so incriminating.

"So we're the same, in a way."

"Comparing beauty to fighting is like comparing diamond to lead," the raven haired man replied. He hated being made an equal of anyone, probably more than he hated the idea of ugly people being richer than he was.

"We both get made fun of what we do, though."

"You may have a point. There's not one in this run down pile of garbage that's passed off as a district of the Soul Society who wouldn't enjoy exchanging rumors of one of us two."

"Really, there are that many about you?"

"Wasn't that what you just implied?"

Ikkaku smiled, and Yumichika thought instantly that the man's smile was unrefined and boarded on psychological insanity, but at the same time was rather contagious. Yumichika smiled in spite of himself. "I was just talking about pretty boys and drunks, in general."

The "pretty boy" blushed in embarrassment. "Actually, there are people who love driving both of us into the dirt, and they're the majority. I understand myself, because I steal from the rich and stupid. You, they just enjoy poking at because of your wild unpredictable behavior."

"Unpredictable? I do nearly the same thing every day. This is the first time I've broken my daily routine in weeks. And to tell you the truth, it was just so you wouldn't interrupt that routine later when I was in a bad mood," Ikkaku's grin grew when he saw the man across from him shrink visibly.

"So you make it a habit to get drunk every night, and either pick a fight or flirt with everything that has a pulse? One time, I remember working as a, well, uh..." Yumichika cleared his throat. "As a escort in a bar, and just outside was a noblewoman who was there to 'view the town', whom you proceeded to hit on.

"Somehow, you got away with only a few bruises and you were back to the same bar the very next night. You tried your luck with some girls again, but when it didn't work you started to pick fights with four or five guys at a time. A few days later, you were drinking in the corner, relaxed, telling jokes and didn't even talk to anyone provocatively."

"I didn't know you were a-"

Yumichika wished he left his temporary occupation out of the mix. "Listen, it's no different than selling out and using your ability for fighting each and every night." He looked down, blushing furiously. He should know by now not to talk so freely, seeing as he always managed to get carried away. "So, just don't finish what you were about to say. Even I get desperate to eat, and there's not a whole lot of things I'm suited to do."

"I'm not one to judge, don't worry," Ikkaku said, trying to take away from the awkwardness of the situation. He was actually enjoying the conversation, and didn't want to leave just yet. Truthfully, he didn't remember the last time that he felt so at ease, talking for no other reason than just to speak, and not doing anything but.

The fact that he was comfortable around the person he had actually disliked for some time now was rather strange. Yumichika was known for being vain and hateful towards anyone whom he didn't find pretty. For as long as they had contact with each other, Ikkaku got the feeling that he wasn't on this man's pretty list.

"Is it alright if I call you Ikkaku?" Yumichika asked after a moment of silence.

"As long as it's alright for me to call you Yumichika."

"I'd actually prefer that," Yumichika answer with a bit of a smile, even though it was obvious he still felt a little awkward. "Hold on. We've been talking and we haven't even looked for the katana you left here beforehand."

"Oh, shit. That's the reason I came in the first place," Ikkaku stood up and tried to think of where he left it. He scanned the scarcely decorated room. There weren't a whole lot of places he could have left it in such a small and barren room.

"Now that I think of it," Yumichika said, "I slept absolutely awful last night. I mean, I'm never really very comfortable on such a horrible sleeping mat."

"Let's not talk about beauty sleep, that katana is my way of staying alive, alright?"

"It's not small talk you bald idiot!" Yumichika said with a pout and walked over to his mattress which was hardly a foot tall, and reached under it. He pulled out a shabby katana. "Would this be the item in question?"

"You are a piece of work. I can't believe you'd even notice something like that."

"I'm not a brute, of course I would feel and sword under my already uncomfortable bed. I was just so tired that I didn't think to check for it. Why would you put it there, though?"

"I always sleep with my sword nearby. I have a pretty long list of enemies."

"That's a bad way to live, always afraid of being attacked," Yumichika said softly. "It'll cause early wrinkles."

Ikkaku, almost fooled that the pretty boy was being serious for a second, scoffed. "I'm not afraid of anyone or anything attacking me. I'm just ready for them. I know they'll be comin' eventually."

"I guess you want to leave, now that you have your sword back?"

Although it was strange, Ikkaku wasn't even thinking about leaving yet. He knew it was pointless to stay now that he had no more reason to be in Yumichika's room. He shook his head and sat back down, with his katana placed at his side. "I'll stay and talk a little bit longer. I've got nothing else to do."

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	3. A Beautiful Struggle

Is it just me, or can I not write slow paced stories? Damn my impatience to hell.

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_ EVICTION NOTICE:_

_ Dear Mr. Ayasegawa, Yumichika_

_ This is a letter to inform you immediately of your failure to pay appropriate dues in order to keep your apartment. As a courtesy, the owner of this complex grants you 48 hours to gather your things and please be out, or pay all outstanding fees, for a total of four months neglected payments._

_ Thank you for your previous business and please do not become enraged due to our policy._

It was a week since Ikkaku and he talked. He was just getting ready to invite the man over again in hopes that they could maybe be friends.

"Eviction notice? I'm going to be evicted in two days?" Yumichika, although he rarely if ever paid any notice to the bills for his shabby place, never considered that he would be thrown out.

He wasn't the type suited to the streets. He didn't want to do anything hasty to earn enough money or convince the landlord to keep him. His reputation was already horrible and for him to go all out to earn the money he was short would make him the least popular person in the entire district.

Yumichika found bouts of anger to be such an ugly thing, but he couldn't help it. He torn the heartless letter in two and kicked his fragile dining table across the room. None of the furniture in this room was of any value at all. It was all found at local landfills and thrown out by families who had moved on to better things. He had to piece together most of it by himself. He'd be lucky to get a pile of worm infested fruit for everything in the room.

The table he'd kicked, even though he wasn't terribly strong, broke into several pieces and wouldn't be able to be repaired again. He decided to get a small piece of the broken mirror on his vanity (just big enough for him to see his face of he held it half an arms length away from him), his comb and one spare shirt. It had several holes in it, and although it was at one point black, it was worn and rained on so many times that it was gray and washed up now. The sleeves were especially in tatters, and the cloth was incredibly itchy and uncomfortable.

He got all of his food that he had (enough for a week, longer if he cut back on meals to only one a day) gathered in the burlap sack and looked around for anything that he would want.

He decided to grab his blanket to wrap the glass mirror and comb to ensure they wouldn't break as he walked and put everything into the half-filled sack. There was a forest rather close to the town he was in, and he was sure he could avoid the ruffians who lived there, seeing as they were all incredibly stupid.

But, as he turned to see one last time if there was anything else that he left, he saw his face in the broken mirror. Yumichika, the most beautiful person in all of Rukongai. Of everyone in the entire Soul Society, actually. That kind of beauty shouldn't have to run away and live in the woods. He started to cry silently. It couldn't be right.

How could they kick him out?

For a brief moment, as he wiped a tear away, he thought of going to Ikkaku. Surely if he has enough money to get drunk each and every night, he could help him make a small payment just to convince the building owner to let him stay.

"Don't be stupid, you hardly even know that guy," Yumichika scolded himself. It was ugly to ask for help, and even more so to ask a stranger. Not a complete stranger, but certainly Ikkaku wasn't someone Yumichika would even consider an acquaintance at this point. He didn't even know the man's whole name (although, somehow he acquired Yumichika's full name).

It was midday by the time Yumichika had stopped crying and his face became normal again. He refused to go outside with a red face, or else he might as well invite people to laugh at his femininity.

He hated how beautiful the day was. The sun's light was liquid and every part of the streets were vivid and lit beautifully. Even those places he normally thought to be ugly were somewhat attractive in the flattering light of the sun today. If he weren't so upset, he'd want to find a window to admire his beauty on such a great day.

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The forest right outside the district, he thought, would be at least a little more beautiful. Thugs made their home deep in the woodland, though, and therefore there was only a small region that was full of creeks and streams which made gaining any stable footing impossible. Yumichika found it to be contaminated with bothersome insects and too much work to navigate, but it was the only place he thought would be safe from discovery.

Fighting ugly people, after all, isn't an occupation Yumichika would excel or enjoy in the least.

Ikkaku loved fighting though. He'd be so suited to a place like this, he could build a shack for himself and kill any of the ruffians who should get the idea to kick him out. Maybe, Yumichika thought, Ikkaku could teach him how to fight so well. But if he were to do that, he'd also have to explain his eviction and then suffer through pity.

It was twilight now, when all the definitive lines begin to blur to gray. It was an ugly time.

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Ikkaku, for some reason, was hardly enjoying his drinking and skirmishes as much as he had been. They'd been passable for so long only because he never had any other way to spend his time. He'd never even had anyone whose company he enjoyed.

He got back to his apartment, and realized he hadn't even seen Yumichika for a few days. He walked a few rooms back and knocked on the door. There was no answer, but he figured Yumichika wouldn't mind if he went inside to wait if he didn't even complain when he found Ikkaku passed out on his bed.

He walked in to the room and was surprised to see it in such disarray. Both times he entered it, the room was spotless. But there was torn paper and the table which he sat at before was shattered against the wall. Several things that were there before were now missing and Ikkaku was somewhat worried that Yumichika was robbed or attacked when he was out drinking.

Even though he was someone with spiritual powers, seeing as he had to eat, his body was so lithe and his abilities weren't trained for battle. He'd said that himself once when they were talking. Ikkaku was concerned whether or not his friend was alive. He went over to the torn piece of paper, and looked at it.

"He didn't have any money? No wonder he only ate that disgusting food," Ikkaku noticed it was an eviction note and was somewhat relieved. At the same time, he was rather sure Yumichika still wasn't totally safe where ever he decided to go.

"Damn moron, what's he gonna do? He's too much of a pretty boy to sleep on the streets."

He wasn't even sure why he cared so much, but the prospect of having a friend in a place like this, where no one trusted anyone, was just such a breath of fresh air. Also, anything to break the routine he dug himself so deep into was something in and of itself enough to make him go.

Where would a pretty boy like Yumichika go? Somewhere he thought was beautiful, right?

"There's not very many places that are pretty around here."

Ikkaku sensed that it would be a pain in the ass mission already.

Or...

That's right! Yumichika's face is known by everyone, and God knows he would've been a drama queen. All there is to do is ask if anyone saw him.

"Ikkaku, you're a genius."

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"Mr. Ayasegawa? Yes, he's always out on days like this. He is too pretty for a man, don't you think?" The first woman Ikkaku asked, known to be a keen observer of all that went on, only so she could gossip to her friends later, answered.

"Where was he going?"

"Why are you so curious?"

Ikkaku narrowed his eyes. "It's not your business."

"Did he steal from you, too?"

Ikkaku wasn't ever stolen from by the effeminate man, but he knew this woman was anything but fond of Yumichika. Saying yes was the quickest way to get an answer from her, so he nodded.

"Oh, my. For someone like you to be after him, no wonder he looked upset." She pointed to the woods just behind her house. "I followed him a bit, I'll admit. He's up in a tree in the muddiest part of the forest I can imagine. I'm sure that won't stop you from teaching him a lesson, though."

Ikkaku sighed. He had no idea where the muddy parts of the forest were, he'd never even went there. All the idiots who had their hideout deep in the forest were poor and uninteresting. The mission to find that stupid pretty boy was getting less appealing.

The woman noticed him sigh. "Would you like me to show you were that is?"

"What?"

"The muddy part. You don't know where it is, do you?"

He'd rather not see Yumichika ever again than put up with the annoying gossip for another two minutes. But he didn't come so far looking for him and get excited over changing his bothersome routine only to stop now. "Just tell me where it is. You'll be in the way if you come."

"That's a rather rude thing to say."

"I don't care."

"Humph. If you act so rudely, I won't tell you."

"Then I won't be able to 'Teach him a lesson', will I?"

"Fine!" She replied. "Go straight that direction, you'll reach a creek and follow it inwards. When all the ground is mushy, you're around the right place. He's up a small tree which is low to the ground and it has a lot of branches."

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"Well, I only lost my shoe six times," Ikkaku grumbled to himself. "This surely can't be the place." He continued sarcastically.

He'd been in the area that the woman described for about ten minutes and was already thinking of turning back. All the trees around were low to the ground and easy to climb. He couldn't find any footprints, either.

Yumichika, on the other hand, had found a large hollow in one of the fat swamp trees. He spent nearly an hour removing bugs and spider webs from it, lining the place with the blanket he brought and was trying to make the it a suitable for him to sleep in. He wished he hadn't made so many enemies, and maybe it wouldn't be so dangerous for him to sleep on the streets until he could buy a new place.

However, such was his struggle. Maybe he'd look back and think that it was all part of something beautiful?

He heard a loud curse as well as the belching sound mud makes when it closes around a foot, and the foot is yanked out. Then a few splashes and a slew of curses again. The voice, although he'd only heard it a few times and only once for any real amount of time, was unmistakable.

Why would Ikkaku be out here?

"Ikkaku?" Yumichika shouted, although he felt as if that was a bad idea. Did Ikkaku know about him being out there? Did he come to throw a fit or pity him? Either wasn't attractive, but he surely didn't have any other reason to be here unless he wanted to challenge those who made their home in this forest to a fight.

"Do you think you could help me out?" Was the unenthusiastic answer.

Yumichika came out of the hollow in the tree to see Ikkaku was waist deep in a muddy creek. He couldn't help but laugh at the sight.

"Of course," Yumichika answered, as he began hopping from branch to branch of his tree and gracefully swinging his way to a tree almost directly above Ikkaku's head. I'd be difficult to pull someone as heavy as Ikkaku out by himself, but the poor guy was sunk so far down he couldn't reach a branch that was only about four feet off the ground and no more than five inches short of being right over his head.

"So, that's the way to get around this damn place?"

"I don't know if there's a better way, but surely you would've noticed how much mud there was and thought it stupid to walk?" Yumichika answered. He made it over to the correct tree and was trying to find a sturdy branch close to the ground.

"Hurry up, princess. I'm still sinking," Ikkaku said, half playfully, half serious.

Yumichika found a branch he felt could support both of their weights, although it was hardly close enough for him to just bend over and pull the man up.

He swung down and was holding onto the branch as tightly as he could with both hands. "Grab my ankles, I'll pull you up."

"Are you strong enough for that?

"I'm not sure, but if not, I'll tell you to let go and think of something else." Yumichika looked down at him and smiled. "Unless you'd rather me leave you like this."

"You can't be serious."

"Come on, where's your sense of adventure?"

"I think I forgot it at the bar."

"Got a better idea?"

"Fine," Ikkaku brought his katana to his mouth and bit down on it, and grabbed onto both of Yumichika's ankles.

"Ready?"

Ikkaku tried to say yes, but he wasn't able to keep his katana and speak at the same time, so he just made a muffled sound of agreement.

Yumichika, despite his lithe and weak looking body, was able to pull Ikkaku up a few feet before he got tired and had to rest.

"Can you reach any of the branches yet?"

Ikkaku answered by releasing the ankles and pulling himself up on a sturdy looking branch. Yumichika moved to another branch, instead of putting more stress on the one he used to lift Ikkaku.

"Thanks. This is kind of embarrassing, I came to help you," Ikkaku said once he removed his sword.

"I don't need your sympathy," Yumichika answered curtly.

"I guess not, I mean this looks like a very nice place to live, after all," Ikkaku answered sarcastically.

The raven haired man got up and begun to make his way back to the tree he decided to stay in.

Ikkaku followed. "Yumichika, I don't want you to stay out here. If the thugs find out, they'll kill you. They don't like anyone who's not one of them to be here."

"Then, I just won't let them find out."

"You're obviously great at keeping yourself secret so far. Some old hag showed me the way here," Ikkaku, who actually wasn't sure why he was trying so hard, argued. "Besides, it's not sympathy anymore. I owe you."

"Where would I stay besides here, idiot? I was gone because I was evicted."

"Just stay at my place for awhile, alright?" Ikkaku said. From anyone else, Yumichika would've thought for certain they were perverts, but Ikkaku wasn't beginning to imply anything like that.

"I want to use that favor you owe me on something else, though."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"I want to learn to fight," Yumichika looked back at Ikkaku, into his eyes to prove he was serious. "You're the only one whom I could trust to teach me something like that."

"I'll let you stay at my place and teach you how to fight. You did save my life, after all. What if those thugs came while I was stuck?"

"That's sympathy, and sympathy is unbecoming of the beautiful."

Ikkaku thought for a minute. "Then do something else for me."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Just come with me and we'll figure something out. It's not sympathy, I'm just helping a friend."

"A friend?"

"We're close enough to call each other that, aren't we?"

Yumichika smiled. "Yeah, okay. Let's go, and make sure not to fall into any more mud. I'm too tired to pull you out again."

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	4. Decided

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Ikkaku was slightly embarrassed when they got to his apartment. He had almost no furniture, besides a bed and table. The entire floor was covered in so much trash that Yumichika wasn't completely sure the color of the flooring.

"Sorry about this."

"It's," Yumichika wanted to say ugly or appalling, but Ikkaku was doing him a favor. "It's fine."

"I don't really take up a lot of space, with my stuff I mean," Ikkaku began awkwardly. It was strange just to think that he was going to be sharing a room with someone who he hardly knew. "Would you like to bring any of your things here, Yumichika?"

"I think I'd really like to have my vanity. I'll bring it tomorrow. It's not too terribly heavy."

"I'll get it," Ikkaku said immediately. He didn't like the idea of Yumichika trying to move that thing by himself, the pretty boy would get all cut up by the broken glass.

"You don't have to, just go out like you normally do."

"Let's talk about this tomorrow," Ikkaku said with a yawn.

It was well past midnight, Yumichika realized. They'd taken an hour to get home because some of Ikkaku's old "friends" decided to stop them. Now that he thought about it, he was thoroughly exhausted.

But there was only one bed. Ikkaku already felt strange enough after hearing Yumichika's part time job in bars. There was no way he could sleep in the same bed with Ikkaku, he was already being a burden just taking up space.

Yumichika found his burlap sack and cleared a space, spread his blanket and laid down on top of it.

"Hey princess, there's a bed right there," Ikkaku pointed out.

"Isn't it already kind of awkward, Ikkaku?" Yumichika countered. "You are only letting me stay here because I was kicked out of my apartment. I'm not making any impositions. The less I bother you, the better I'll feel."

"You're impossible."

"I thought I was being rather agreeable. It's already strange, though. You think I'm a pervert because of my job I told you about the other day."

"T-that's not important!"

Yumichika raised an eyebrow. "Then why is your face so red?"

"Shut up! We're training tomorrow, so you're going to sleep in the bed and not have any excuses for being sore or anything," Ikkaku said, embarrassed because he was blushing and only getting more red while yelling.

"If that's what you want," Yumichika conceded with a shrug. He took his blanket and brushed off some of the garbage from it, and laid down on the edge of the bed. He made an effort to take as little room as possible, and succeeded by only taking up a third of the rather small bed.

Ikkaku laid down beside him, back to back almost (there really wasn't very much room) and tried to fall asleep. Yumichika already appeared to have fallen asleep, his breathing was shallow and even.

Ikkaku turned to look at the man, hoping that he wasn't a light sleeper and wouldn't wake up when he moved on the bed. He didn't.

It was a shame that he sold himself to the ugly fucks who walked into the bar when he needed money and still couldn't pay his rent, Ikkaku thought. The moon was full and it's light fell gracefully on his pale face. Ikkaku always thought that the man wore some kind of make-up to look to perfect every day, but if he was wearing any, it would be smudged from the work he'd done that day.

Ikkaku wasn't a complete pervert, he didn't feel anything romantic between the two of them, but he wanted to make it clear that he wasn't comfortable with Yumichika's job as a prostitute, ever. He felt strangely protective of the man all of the sudden, like it was his job to take care of him.

No matter what, he decided then and there, he'd make Yumichika strong enough to beat anyone in Rukongai. Someone with such a reputation needed to be able to protect himself.

Ikkaku laid back down and went to sleep, thinking of ways to teach someone so small to fight.

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There was a sizzling sound and the smell of pork frying. Ikkaku always had it for breakfast because it was the cheapest meat that he could buy and the bars were never opened early in the morning. He opened his eyes and turned to see Yumichika wasn't in the bed.

For a split second, he thought the previous night had all been dreamed up until he heard the pretty boy's voice.

"Glad to see you're still alive. You sleep like a rock, you know that?"

"You're making breakfast?"

"I tried to wake you up and ask you if you were hungry, but I figured you would be and gave up after trying four different methods."

"Yeah, thanks," Ikkaku got up from bed, and for the first time in weeks felt like he felt like he actually slept well.

"When do you think you'll be going out today?"

"Want to get rid of me so quickly?" Ikkaku joked.

"I was just curious."

"Is it almost ready? I'm starving."

Yumichika smiled and put down two plates of pork with onions and potatoes on the dining table. He cleared a place of trash and sat down.

"This looks really good, actually."

"You have so many more nice things to cook with. And I can't remember the last time I had something to go with the vegetables that I always fix. Thank you."

Ikkaku almost felt sorry for Yumichika, even though he knew the man wanted no pity. Living on vegetables sounded awful in and of itself, and Ikkaku would like to see what the man was cooking with before, if his things were nice in comparison.

The food, although it wasn't amazingly delicious or gourmet, was much better than what Ikkaku normally made himself. "Where did you learn to cook?"

"From some lady who used to take care of me. She taught me how to sew, too. I actually lived with her for weeks before she found out that I was a man, and immediately she threw me out, accusing me of being a cross dresser," Yumichika laughed a bit. "I didn't know that she didn't know I was male, so the whole thing was a big mess."

"Sounds like she was training you to be a housewife, with the sewing and cooking."

Yumichika laughed again. "I think that's exactly what she was doing. Either that, or a maid to help her around the house. She had quite a few children that I helped her take care of."

"Sounds like I have my work cut out for me," Ikkaku said stuffing his mouth with pork, and began talking with his mouth full. Yumichika made a mental note to teach him proper etiquette at some point. "Teaching someone who was already trained to be a maid how to fight sounds like a pain."

"Yumichika Ayasegawa is not a maid," the raven haired man said threateningly. "I can learn to fight, my cooking ability has nothing to do with it."

"Fine, fine. Either way, though, you don't look suitable for fighting at all," Ikkaku sighed and stuffed more food in his mouth.

Yumichika looked at Ikkaku intently for a moment. Underneath his perpetual expression of annoyance, he was hiding something. Was he really concerned?

"I've got to go and get some stuff 'fore we do our training. If you go anywhere, be back around noon."

"It's nearly noon already."

"That late? Damn, fine. Be back by three I guess. I should be back by that time."

"Ikkaku?"

"What?"

"Why are you so concerned about me?" Yumichika was going on a hunch, but after Ikkaku nearly choked on his food, it seemed that the hunch had some kind of truth behind it.

"W-what the hell makes you think that, you moron?"

Yumichika smiled his usual bubbly smile. "It's fine if you don't want to tell me. I'll figure it out eventually."

"Shut up, would you?" Ikkaku replied and stood up. His plate was cleared of food, and he was trying to turn the other way to hide his blush. He hated when people guessed what he was thinking, and hated even more when they were right.

Ikkaku suddenly remembered what he decided last night. He had no idea how to tell Yumichika not to sell his body and avoid complete awkwardness, not to mention it would make the other think there was something romantic between them. That was really the last thing he wanted, because worse than the moment of strange feelings it would bring, it would also chase Yumichika away and deny them the chance to ever really be friends.

However, Yumichika seemed to be able to read minds, to an extent. "What is it you want to tell me? I'm in your debt for letting me stay here, after all. Just say what it is you want to say."

"Well, I just wanted to say," Ikkaku looked down and hesitated before he finished. "I want you to know I'm making enough money with beating up morons to buy whatever we need, so don't do anything stupid. If you want something, you can ask. I don't want you to," he hesitated again.

Yumichika got Ikkaku's implication, or at least assumed he understood. "Don't be silly. I wouldn't bring a client to your room. I'm not so inconsiderate."

"I mean I don't want you doing that kind of thing, period."

Yumichika blushed. "Why would you care what I do for money?"

"Because, I just said not to do it anymore. If you do and I find out, I won't teach you how to fight, or let you stay here."

"But-"

"Whatever you want you can get in different ways," Ikkaku said firmly, but was kicking himself. He didn't know how to put things gently. He was making a complete ass of himself.

"I don't care about not being able to do that anymore, it's not like I particularly enjoyed taking ugly people to bed so I could eat, but why do you seem to care so much?"

"B-because," Ikkaku answered. "I just don't like the idea of you putting yourself out like that, especially now that you have a place to stay and food to eat for sure."

Yumichika smiled. "Thank you."

"Don't be stupid, it's just weird."

"What, you want me to thank you in a more _nonverbal _way?" Yumichika said teasingly and posed provocatively.

"I just said don't be stupid!" Ikkaku yelled and his face turned deep red. He turned and got out, slamming the door on his way.

Yumichika laughed until his eyes watered. "Poor guy, he couldn't tell I was kidding. Should I make it up to him some way?" The effeminate man stood thinking for a moment, but then it hit him. He made his way across the messy one-room apartment, trudging through trash and taking special care not to cut his feet on anything that seemed sharp.

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"Who does that pretty boy think he is?" Ikkaku muttered, still blushing. He figured it was just a joke, but it was still strange all around. A crowd of five rough looking thugs laid strewn across the street, victim of his confused anger.

He realized to train someone like Yumichika, he would need a light weight katana, and a few wooden training swords. All the money from the thugs was hardly enough to buy the training swords, and not nearly enough to buy any reliable weapon. It seemed that the day may just drag on forever.

He walked to a second hand sword shop to buy the things he needed for training, and didn't have enough left over from his money to buy a little booze. He sighed and went to the lawless district to find someone with heavy pockets and maybe buy what he needed.

"I shouldn't have spent all that money last week on so much to drink. What the hell was I thinking?" Ikkaku cursed himself. He heard someone trying to attack him from behind. There was no need for finely tuned instincts, the person was charging and breathing heavily.

Ikkaku casually stepped out of the way. "Let's make this quick. How much money do you have on you?"

The guy in front of him was three times Ikkaku's size and looked more like a gorilla on steroids than a person. He was absolutely fuming, probably one of the people Ikkaku had beaten before looking for revenge.

"I'm going to fucking kill you!"

Ikkaku sighed. The man looked extremely poor, he was coated in dirt and had rags for clothes. "I'm guessing you're not worth much? Probably not enough to buy a nice bottle of something strong, right?"

"What the hell are you talking about, you bastard?"

"Do you have any money at all?"

"I don't carry my money with me if I know I'm going to fight a thief!" He shouted.

"Then you're not worth my time," Ikkaku said, and began to walk away.

"I'll cut you down whether you draw your sword or not!"

Ikkaku heard the man cling two blades together, two heavy ax blades. Interested, he turned back to see finely crafted twin axes in the brutes possession that he somehow didn't notice before.

"Those look like they're worth something."

"You'll have to pry these from my cold, dead hands."

"I'll take you up on that offer," Ikkaku replied drily and took his katana out from it's sheath.

The brute challenging him didn't miss a beat. He charged, and proved himself to be rather skilled with his weapons. Ikkaku thought he would remember someone who was actually good in a ratty place like Rukongai, but ignored that and just decided to enjoy the fight.

Ikkaku dodged masterfully and smiled. "What's your name?"

"I'm the leader and big brother of the five you thought to beat up earlier. But dead men don't need to know names."

"But I need to listen to your life story? Fine, Mr. Big Brother of a bunch of poor weaklings, it's nice to meet you. I'm Ikkaku Madarame. I think you should know the name of the one he ends your afterlife."

The man turned red with rage and charged again, and used a pincer maneuver. Ikkaku dodged it with relative ease, but got cut when the oaf retaliated and swung his right ax downward. He wasn't abnormally fast, but his agility was something to be admired. Ikkaku's left shoulder had a cut almost an inch deep that continued nearly halfway down his torso.

"This is looking like it'll be pretty fun, unfortunately, I can't play long. I need to take those axes and get some money for them, maybe trade them in for a few quality katana. Don't take it too personally if I kill you before you've enjoyed the fight to it's fullest, alright?"

"Don't be an idiot!" The man ran again, doing the same pincer movement he did previously. Ikkaku jumped onto the right ax and dealt a lethal blow to the man's jugular before he even realized he missed the attack.

"Here I thought it would be more challenging," Ikkaku sighed and jumped off the ax, pushing the dying man to the ground. "Don't bleed all over those, they're valuable."

Ikkaku laughed a bit at his own crude joke and picked the axes up. They were both rather decorated, with inscriptions ornamenting the fine steel of the blades, and traditional tassels at the end of the handles.

"I'll be able to upgrade my own katana and get Yumichika one he can handle, too." Ikkaku grinned. He felt like a moron carrying two axes that he could only barely lift, training swords, and his own beat up katana, but he was a bit too happy to care.

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It was well past six o'clock now, Yumichika noticed, and Ikkaku still wasn't home. He collapsed on their shared bed and began to worry. Although he was thoroughly exhausted from cleaning the apartment till it shined (uncleanliness was so ugly, after all), he couldn't help wanting to go looking for his friend.

"Hey princess, mind opening the door?"

And I was worried about that moron for the last three hours why? Yumichika thought. He wanted to be angry at how irresponsible the man was to be so late, but instead ended up smiling before he even got to the door.

"You should ask for things you want nicely."

"Just open the fucking door."

"Fine, fine," Yumichika said. He would've teased longer, but he was anxious to see Ikkaku's expression when he saw the apartment perfectly clean.

Ikkaku was carrying enough food to last the both of them weeks, wooden swords and beautiful katana, and enough booze to last a popular bar a few days.

"Where did you get the money-"

"Just help me with this. Where should I look out for trash?" Ikkaku asked, not able to see anything in front of him with all the things he was carrying blocking his vision.

"Here, let me take some of that," Yumichika said and took the food and swords that were on top of the pile of things Ikkaku was occupied with.

"Holy shit."

"I hope you don't mind."

"I thought you said you weren't a maid," Ikkaku said with an irrepressible grin.

Yumichika answered with a hard kick to his shin.

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	5. A Truly Strange Pair

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"You must have been really busy with all this," Ikkaku said once Yumichika decided he would speak to the insensitive man again.

"Yes. And I know you told me to wait for you to bring my vanity over, but since you were taking so long, I thought you'd be tired."

"I'm still surprised to see the floor. I always thought it was a lighter wood, this is almost black."

Yumichika smiled brightly. "You know, if you would, this place would be easier to make clean if you bought me a broom, and some cleaning rags."

"You're setting yourself up for another maid joke."

"I just think dirty things are ugly. I don't want to live in an ugly place, or would you rather check the floor constantly for something that might cut your feet as you walk?"

"There you go again," Ikkaku rolled his eye. He had to buy a new shirt that looked close to his previous one so Yumichika wouldn't become worried about him, but now he wondered if that was the smart thing to do.

Training someone who had no experience wouldn't be the easiest thing, and if Yumichika hit it the injury during a sparring session, he'd be really upset with himself for hurting his teacher.

"You know, I think you're not as annoyed with me as you pretend to be, Ikkaku."

Ikkaku rolled his eyes, even though Yumichika was right. "Don't be an idiot. But, I want you to know I'm sorry about that fight we had earlier."

"That was a fight? Don't say things like that, I was only joking. I didn't mean to cause any hurt feelings."

"I said don't be an idiot, or are you deaf? Whose feelings do you think you hurt?"

"You know, you don't have to try so hard," Yumichika teased.

"What the hell are you going on about now?" Ikkaku said, starting to blush a little bit.

"Oh, nothing. It's not important. What would you like for me to make to eat?"

"So you're going to make a habit of this sort of thing?"

"Of course. I've already decided, I'll take care of cooking and cleaning since I don't mind doing those things, and that'll be how I earn my stay."

Ikkaku grinned, amused."You've decided, huh?"

Yumichika nodded. "Unless you'd rather me do something else."

"What are you implying?"

"Well, I don't know. I'm sure I'm good at something else," Yumichika said, and seemed to be thinking sincerely for a moment. He wasn't hinting towards the very thing that caused their little argument when Ikkaku was just getting ready to leave, but that's the first thing that came to Ikkaku's mind.

"Forget it, what you offered is more than enough."

The effeminate man smiled. He seemed to be perpetually happy, for some reason. Ikkaku guessed that he found being emotional as an ugly thing, but wasn't going to bother with asking.

"Do you have any tea that you like in particular. You have Jasmine, Green, and Camomile."

"Whatever, I have them all because I like each."

"Green tea it is then, it makes me even more beautiful. Did you know that it has that effect?"

"No," Ikkaku answered slowly.

"Don't you care about appearances as well?"

Ikkaku shook his head. His new roommate was one vain piece of work, but for some reason he found it sort of entertaining. "No, I don't."

"Then why are you trying to hide your injury on your shoulder from me?"

"How the hell did you-"

"Sorry, I shouldn't have put that so bluntly. What an ugly thing for me to do. But, you didn't bandage the wound too well, you took a bath to wash off the blood of your opponents, but when you came out since your wound hadn't completely closed, you still smelled like blood. I wasn't sure what that meant until I saw you try to lift all those bottles of alcohol that you brought and winced when you reached upwards with your left arm," Yumichika got up to fix the tea. "I really wish you would put more effort into things if you're going to keep secrets. Or at least don't act like I wouldn't notice such things. I'm beautiful, but not stupid."

Ikkaku looked the other way, a little embarrassed that he was so transparent. "I just didn't want to make you get all worried."

"You fight all the time, and nearly every time I saw you before we knew each other, I saw a new injury. Why would I think now is different than it was before?"

"I didn't know you even cared enough to notice."

"I didn't," Yumichika answered while he began to boil the water. "I thought you were ugly so I never took two glances at you before. But I didn't need to, I notice easily. I trained myself to notice things that are subtle so I wouldn't try and steal from someone who was rich enough to get me in serious trouble, or too poor to be worth the effort."

"Gee, thanks," Ikkaku mumbled.

"Want to know why I wanted to talk to you the day you forgot your katana?" Yumichika said suddenly, which Ikkaku figured was to quickly change subjects.

"What do you mean?"

"If I thought you were ugly then, I would've wanted to be rid of you as quickly as possible. But I invited you in and we talked well into the night, remember?"

Now that he thought about it, Ikkaku did remember. He went there with a sour attitude and wanted nothing more than to get his katana and get the hell away from the eccentric beauty. But Yumichika had been adamant and made him come in to talk. Before either of them knew it, Ikkaku was sitting down even though he had his sword and they were talking for hours on end.

"Well, then why did you want to talk to ugly me?"

"Because of your name. It's almost as beautiful as mine. And you were so interesting. I think you're beautiful now," Yumichika said. He seemed completely sincere, and Ikkaku thought it was one of the nicest things anyone had ever told him.

"Not as beautiful as you, though."

"Of course not. I'm the most beautiful one in all of the Soul Society."

Ikkaku laughed. "How are you so vain?"

"I'm not. I'm merely being honest. There is no one more beautiful than me."

"Was me sleeping on your bed what made you think I was interesting?"

"Actually, that incident in particular made me think you were drunk and horny."

Ikkaku blushed.

"But once you were gone, I thought you smelled nice. Like some kind of sweet spice. Beautiful."

Ikkaku blushed a deeper shade of red.

"I'm sorry, am I making you uncomfortable?"

"Yes."

"Well, just say so next time. And don't ask questions like that, because the answer may not be something you like." The water was boiling now and Yumichika was adding the tea. "What about you?"

"Hm?"

"Why did you go out of your way to help me? What did you think of me before we really met?"

"Well, I wanted to change my routine, really. I was dug into a boring rut. And I thought you hated me, and that you were a stuck up pretty boy."

Yumichika smiled softly, but Ikkaku thought he might have hit a nerve. He figured before his friend started to mope, he should apologize. "Listen I-"

"Tea's done!" The man said loudly to cut off Ikkaku. "Don't apologize for telling the truth. I said the truth about you. Besides, I don't make good first impressions, ever," he said and poured them both a cup of steaming hot tea.

"I still feel kind of bad."

"I just said that you shouldn't ask questions whose answers you wouldn't like. I'm not going to be a hypocrite, that would be ugly."

Ikkaku took a sip and smiled. He knew his smile never came out right, he always looked like some serial killer even if he tried to look friendly, but he attempted either way. "I thought you were beautiful."

"What?"

"I thought you were the most beautiful person in all of Rukongai. I guess that's not saying a whole lot, this place is nothing but a pit of criminals, really. But I used to think that if a place like this could have someone like you, then maybe it could produce more extraordinary things."

"What do you mean?"

"I wanted to give up for awhile, there isn't anyone important that came from here. No great names. I thought I was just going to be a petty thief picking fights with low lives for the rest of my life, but then I saw you. You had pride, which inspired me, and you're really different from anyone I've ever seen here."

Yumichika looked away with a small blush. "I'm sorry I don't have anything to say that's nearly as sweet as that."

"It's not a flattery contest."

"Why do you care about being strong?" Yumichika took a perfectly graceful sip from his cup, and Ikkaku thought for a minute that despite him being a thief, he carried himself like a noble.

"Well," Ikkaku began. Actually, he didn't know why he wanted to become strong for any other reason than the idea of being strong in and of itself.

"Maybe you are like me," Yumichika began happily.

"Hm?"

"It doesn't matter so much why, just that it's being done."

"What do you mean?"

"I love the idea of being beautiful, so I do everything beautifully, even if it's hard work and I don't always enjoy every aspect of it. I enjoy the overall journey. You enjoy the idea of being strong."

"I thought you said that comparing violence to beauty-"

"Is like comparing diamond to lead. But, which is which, and what is the difference besides the way someone sees either or. Diamond and lead both are made of carbon, and they both have uses in their own way."

"Aren't you the philosophical one?"

Yumichika laughed. "Of course."

Ikkaku wondered for awhile, and his friend picked up on the sudden quiet. He got up and started to prepare dinner.

"Care to share your thoughts, Ikkaku?"

"Where did you learn how to carry yourself life that?"

"Meaning?"

"You act like a rich noble and you're a thief. Not to mention you're pretty smart, too."

"Maybe I was rich or famous when I was alive, and I just brought those things along after my death." Yumichika smiled. "Or maybe the beautiful just know these things and the ugly emulate them. That may just be why proper etiquette was established in the first place."

Ikkaku laughed. "Yeah, and maybe fighting was developed by bald drunks, and that's why I'm so strong."

"Don't be silly! It was probably just one or the other, that's much to descriptive. I'm guessing drunkards developed fighting as a natural defense so they could act as rudely as they wanted and not get killed," Yumichika answered as he cut some of the vegetables. "Let's see. Do you like daikon?"

"Not raw."

"You can't taste it when it's cooked."

"Well, there's your answer then. But why couldn't bald people invented fighting?"

"Because they have natural defenses, at least on sunny days," Yumichika smirked. "All they have to do to deter an attacker is move their head in a certain way and blind those who threaten them."

After Ikkaku recovered from a fit of laughter, he tried to speak, although he occasionally was interrupted by laughing again. "You know, I never figured you to be much for jokes. I thought all people like you are serious and forgot how to laugh a long time ago."

"People like me?"

"People with enough pride for one-hundred nobles."

"Is that so?" Yumichika put all of the vegetables, along with a few cups of water, into the cooking pot and lit a fire. He began preparing some pork to add into the mixture.

"Absolutely. If you didn't dress in rags, just your attitude could pass you off as a noble."

"Hm. I'll have to try that some time, if I ever save up enough money for nice clothes, that is."

A uncomfortable silence formed, seeing as Ikkaku didn't know how to reply. For a moment it seemed Yumichika was bothered by the lack of talking between them, but that brief breaking of his happy and carefree demeanor was instantly covered up. The man quickly finished preparing the meat and put it into the pot, then proceeded to wash his hands.

"Yumichika?"

"Hm?"

"Do you think it's a little weird how we hardly know anything about each other?"

"I wouldn't think it was weird, except maybe how easy it is to be around you. I don't really remember when I was alive, but maybe we were friends there?"

Ikkaku shook his head. "I don't think so, we make a pretty strange pair."

"Why's that?"

"You're proper, I'm rude, you act like a noble, I act like a drunk-"

"That true." Yumichika tended to the food as he seemed to think for awhile. "Maybe you were the black sheep of a noble family, and I wished to be your friend because you would've been the interesting one to me at that time. Or maybe you were a servant and I thought you were funny." Yumichika decided to add playfully; "Or maybe you were as much as a pervert in life as you are now and you met me working as an escort."

Ikkaku's face blushed. "Do you always have to say things like that?"

"As long as you make it so much fun to."

Sighing in defeat, Ikkaku wondered how much longer until they ate. He wished that there weren't so many awkward moments between them, it made him feel like he had to tip toe on eggshells. At the same time, he enjoyed the spontaneous comebacks Yumichika seemed to have an endless supply of.

Yumichika laughed. "You know I'm only kidding."

"Of course, it's still weird."

"Well, us being friends is weird all by itself, isn't it?"

Ikkaku had at admit, that was a good point. "I guess so."

Yumichika fixed two plates of the meal he cooked up and put it on the table. "You know, I think it will be nice to train tomorrow. It's supposed to be cloudy, unlike today, so I won't be blinded."

"Ha, ha," Ikkaku said sarcastically.

"Is joking off limits?"

"If it was, you would have been kicked out a long time ago."

Yumichika laughed. They ate in silence, but after about fifteen minutes Yumichika noticed it was getting dark. "I'm going to go ahead and go to sleep. Goodnight Ikkaku."

"Fine, we're training for real tomorrow, got it?"

"Yeah, yeah," Yumichika said unenthusiastically. "As long as you don't go out on any errands. Maybe a leash will work?" Yumichika laughed a bit to show he was only kidding and laid down on the bed. He appeared to fall asleep only moments after laying down.

"How annoying," Ikkaku muttered under his breath. He was actually relieved that Yumichika slept so well, he was afraid of the, "I'm too good for this mattress, and I refuse to sleep under these conditions" kind of mentality. He walked over after he finished what little was left of his meal and squatted down beside the man.

Ikkaku, sure that Yumichika was sound asleep, leaned forward and squinted, as if that would reveal anything about his roommate. A good ten minutes passed before the raven haired man said calmly without even opening his eyes; "You're going to get wrinkles if you concentrate so hard on things."

He laid there for so long knowing I was looking at him? Bastard! Ikkaku's heart had stopped completely for at least five second.

"I know I'm beautiful," Yumichika said as he sat up. "But hasn't anyone ever told you watching people in their sleep is rather rude?"

"Why did you sit there for so long then?"

"I was trying to think of what you smelled like. It's ginger, I don't know why it took me so long to realize something so obvious. Oh, that and I do enjoy attention for periods of time."

Ikkaku blushed.

"Were you planning on watching me sleep regularly?"

"I," Ikkaku hesitated. He didn't actually have any defense or reason for watching Yumichika.

"If you have something you want to ask, you'll have a much better chance finding it out while I'm conscious."

"Whatever, I'm going to sleep."

"Why don't you just ask me what you want to know?"

"Sleeping now," Ikkaku answered irritably.

That definitely could have been handled in a more beautiful way, Yumichika thought with a sigh.

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Coffee=most delicious thing in the entire world.

I wish we had decaffeinated coffee here so I could drink it all day and not worry about not being able to sleep.

I I also wish that it wasn't seven o'clock at night so I could have some coffee now...

It's so yummy... It should be illegal for things to be so good! It's even better than ice cream! I feel like crying.


	6. Teaching the Unteachable

The poem that begins this story does not belong to me. It's Sir Thomas Wyatt's according to the internet, and I put it in here cutting off more than 4/5 of the thing off because I read it awhile ago in an anthology book and it just made me think of Yumichika.

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"Farewell thee love and all thy laws forever, thy baited hooks shall tangle me no longer."

Ikkaku rubbed his eyes sleepily. Did he just hear Yumichika talking? What about hooks now? "What the hell are you going on about?"

"Just working on the beautiful overtures of my voice, silly. Reading poetry not only improves my wit, but also helps me find the most beautiful pitch for me to speak in. I was reciting poetry yesterday as well. But you were asleep then."

"I was asleep until your 'beautiful over term' or whatever the hell you just said woke me up."

"Did it sound beautiful?"

Ikkaku answered by throwing his pillow in the face of the narcissist, and rolling out of bed. "Not beautiful enough that I want to get woken up from a perfectly good sleep by."

"What part in particular needed to be worked on?"

Ikkaku glared, and Yumichika got the hint that he was overstepping playful conversation into dangerous territory.

"Breakfast and tea is set out when you're ready," Yumichika offered and went over to his vanity to comb his hair until Ikkaku was less irritable.

That would take awhile.

Ikkaku ate the food quickly and stumbled over to the swords, still so tired he looked as if he were drunk. He wasn't a great morning person yesterday, either, but Yumichika felt especially bad for waking him up earlier than he would've gotten up on his own. "Would you like to lay back down?"

"Fuck it, I'm already up," Ikkaku answered with a shrug. He didn't seem to be mad at Yumichika in particular, but wasn't happy with him either.

"Would you like to wait awhile before training?"

"Why the hell would I do something like that?"

"Just wondering if you'd like time to wake up, you're still tired," Yumichika answered and started to casually put his hair up. "I just don't like the idea of making you think I'm impatient to start and make you feel the need to rush."

"Don't flatter yourself, I'm not rushing just because you're in a tizzy."

Yumichika smiled and walked over to Ikkaku. "We'll be training with the wooden swords, correct?"

"Unless you got a death wish or something."

"No thank you," Yumichika answered and leaned over to pick up the smaller of the two practice blades, and handed Ikkaku the other.

Dammit, I was standing here like an idiot, Ikkaku thought.

"Let's go outside and start, if you're ready."

"Fine by me. I've never seen someone rush to get their ass kicked, though.

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Ikkaku spent the whole day, well into dusk, training Yumichika with basics. He wasn't really strong, and his striking techniques left much to be desired, but his defense was much more accomplished.

"Why can't you be as good with attacking as you are defending?" Ikkaku asked, they were in the middle of a small sparing session so Yumichika could use the new moves that he was just shown.

"Defending comes naturally to the beautiful. Everyone is jealous, after all."

"Do you even know the meaning of the word 'humble?'"

Yumichika nodded. "Yes, but I don't practice that, because the word is so ugly. It doesn't roll off the tongue beautifully, like Ayasegawa does. It even ends in a 'bumble' sound."

Ikkaku risked forever being shunned by the pretty boy to use the hilt of his training sword and knock the man upside his head with it. "Let's just get back to training."

"How mean," Yumichika said, and rubbed to see if there was a bump rather than because it hurt. Ikkaku was immensely surprised, thinking that Yumichika would never stop whining about being hit like that.

The man pulled his pale hand from his head to see a spot of blood. "I suppose this is your way of asking me not to talk so much?"

"Yeah, and don't complain. I won't teach idiots who can't handle a little hit."

Yumichika replied with a shrug. "Fine, but I won't learn from someone who can't take what he deals."

"Huh?"

Yumichika took the opportunity to hit Ikkaku on the head in the same way he struck Yumichika. "Besides, I always thought someone with such a pretty name would have more patience."

Ikkaku rubbed his head. "You're pushing it."

"Maybe you're right. It's getting really dark, too. Should we go inside and call it a day?"

"What the hell are you talking about, we're not going inside until one of us collapses from exhaustion!"

"How ugly."

Ikkaku spent the next few hours drilling Yumichika on offensive techniques, and noted while there was very little improvement, the man had uncharacteristically amazing endurance. Ikkaku briefly thought if he used too much of his energy during their sparing sessions, he may be the one to collapse first.

"Ikkaku, let me see you use these techniques. I'll defend," Yumichika said after he had practiced each of them one-hundred times. Ikkaku's jaw almost dropped when he saw hardly a bead of sweat on the man's body.

"I'll have to hold back then."

"Trust me, I will be more than able to take a hit from a wooden sword. Stop doubting me so often."

"I'm not doubting you-"

"I have twenty-three examples ready at any time of you going easy on me because you think I'm especially weak. Beauty and weakness are completely different things, and true beauty should never collide with the ugly concept of being weak."

Ikkaku scoffed. "Fine, if you think you're tough enough to handle me attacking. Tell me to stop if you get too badly beaten up."

Yumichika took his starting position, that was a modified version of the best defense position Ikkaku had taught so far, that Yumichika and he worked on to accommodate the lack of strength that Yumichika could bring that the stance depended on.

The vain man lectured Ikkaku on how beautiful it was until Ikkaku had gotten angry and made him shut up and pay attention to the basics or he'd stop the training there and then.

"Don't flatter yourself. I am getting quite good at this, I think."

"And I'm the one who shouldn't flatter myself?" Ikkaku asked sarcastically as he rolled his eyes.

"I have reason to flatter myself, Ikkaku." Yumichika said, and put a stray piece of hair behind his ear. "It's only my first day of training in attacking, yet I've gotten so many basics down."

"Hardly enough to actually fight anyone decent."

"I'll get there, more than likely sooner than you realize."

Ikkaku, although the bragging was getting on his nerves, realized how utterly adorable Yumichika made himself. Like a child, almost, if it weren't for the way he spoke (in a resonantly deep and beautiful way. The poetry must really work if these are the results).

The stances Ikkaku was trying to use relied more on the weapon and the speed behind the blow, rather than strength. They had been taught to him awhile back, but he so rarely had any use for moves like that he had trouble demonstrating them accordingly. Of course, Yumichika's observant eye noticed.

"Aren't you good at fighting?" The pretty boy asked.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Only that it doesn't look like you'd ever hit someone with moves like these."

"Well, I can't teach you my own style, idiot. This is harder for me to show since I don't fight like this."

Yumichika tilted his head, slightly confused. He was smart and clever, but he really believed if one knew how to fight, they could teach another how to fight regardless.

"Listen, you're not strong so you can't fight the same way I can," Ikkaku explained.

"Isn't the point of this to make me strong?"

He shook his head. "Of course not, you moron. My goal is to teach you how to fight, you're not suited for brute strength-type fighting. There are plenty of ways for you to fight without having to put a lot of muscle into it. I'm just trying to remember what I learned about that type of fighting, and demonstrating it is almost impossible for someone who never uses it."

Yumichika seemed to think hard for a minute. "Then how did you know how to help me with defense techniques that don't require strength?"

Ikkaku sighed. He hated all the talking that came with teaching his new annoying pupil. "I knew those so I could focus all my energy on attacking and not have to waste it blocking some meat-heads attack."

Yumichika hummed for a moment, thinking again. "Could I try to attack you now?"

"What?"

"You can't teach me to attack, so could I try to attack you now. I think I have an idea."

"You're ideas never turn out well for me in the end," Ikkaku sighed. "But we're sure as hell not accomplishing anything with me on the offense. Sure."

"I need you to attack me first, though. I just want you to know I'll be countering."

Yumichika assumed what Ikkaku considered to be the worst defense stand that he taught so far and waited. Although Ikkaku seriously wanted to criticize the choice, Yumichika didn't listen to words when his mind was made up about something.

Ikkaku, although toning down the strength he would normally put behind his blows, used his normal fighting style so Yumichika would have to work to keep up.

"Ikkaku, you look like an unrefined thug, with those movements," Yumichika teased, catching Ikkaku off guard and then deflecting his strike with more energy than necessary to knock his opponent's whole stance off balance, then he proceeded to put the tip of his wooden sword on Ikkaku's back roughly where the heart was.

"Ho-how the hell?"

"I must do things opposite from how you do them, correct?"

"Looks like we at least found something that will work for you," Ikkaku sighed and turned to face Yumichika. "Don't get cocky, though."

"Me? Never."

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	7. Unable to Enjoy a Sunny Day

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There was an old philosophy, and it had been told to Ikkaku one hundred times in one hundred ways, but it said basically this; You can't enjoy a sunny day if you've never endured a rainy one.

It wasn't just a philosophy, however. It was a truth. Or at least, it seemed to be such to Ikkaku. He was so blatantly content and without a single exception, happy with the way his life was going he was nostalgic about the times when he'd go out each and every night only to get drunk, have one night stands with women he'd never remember the names of and fight any and everyone who looked at him any way less than ideal.

Days used to seem more like weeks, trudging by slowly and uneventfully as he went through the cycles he'd become accustomed to. The days would even blur together to the point that he'd long forsaken the idea of keeping track of what the date was, and for all he knew he could walk out when it was snowing or when it was dreadfully hot. Time had meant nothing, a true week could have felt like a year while he lived it all in the bars and streets doing whatever he wished.

Now, days felt like minutes. Four weeks had passed since the troublesome beauty moved in, and each day seemed to hold something special. Not one repeated itself, they were all uniquely incredible in their own way. There wasn't much that he could predict would happen the next day, anymore. Cycles were abandoned.

It almost made Ikkaku feel nostalgic about when he got drunk and took on scores of brutes all at once every night, or constantly had one night stands with women he didn't even remember the next day.

Okay, it really did make him feel nostalgic. Perfection, as Yumichika had always said, was such a labor to keep. Ikkaku wondered maybe if it was a two way street, though. To abandoned his friend for more than an hour was practically unheard of between them.

After a heated spar between himself and his roommate, he decided to go. The problem was, telling Yumichika he would be going alone.

"You haven't went out to the bars since I moved in," Yumichika complained. "In fact, you haven't even gotten drunk either."

"Don't be a nag," Ikkaku said, brushing the man's comment off as groundless whining.

"I'm not, I'm just saying it's an ugly habit to want to return to."

Ikkaku shrugged. "Just let me do what I want."

"I didn't have any intention to stop you. I just wanted to let you know, it's an ugly life to want to go back to. Am I such bad company?"

"Don't be stupid, not everything I do has to do with you."

Yumichika smiled a bit. "Well, go on then. Don't get beat up before I get there to drag you back home."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"You're going to get ten times more drunk then you did, since not only do you not really care about paying for your bills, but you haven't been drinking in quite awhile."

"Tch."

"See you later, I'm going to do something productive."

"Since when did you do anything useful?"

"Don't say such things. I always do something useful with my time. Today, for instance, I'm going to spend catching up on my beauty rest."

"You're a vain piece of work," Ikkaku said with a chuckle and shook his head.

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Poor lighting, brunt and expired foods, cheap liquor. Ikkaku felt almost as if he were a kid returning home after a long vacation. He almost expected a little more but a familiarity was incredibly inviting. Even the bartender greeted him like a parent might, asking where he was and what he had been doing since they'd last seen each other.

The conversation, however, wasn't long. Ikkaku didn't want to go into specifics, else people would expect something perverted since everyone knew Yumichika as a prostitute in the particular bar he used to frequent. The only thing that even hinted he had a new roommate was when he said he was busy taking care of someone.

The bartender, knowing Ikkaku's violent tenancies thought he meant that in a way of "putting someone six feet under", kind of taking care.

Quickly, the bald man ordered as many bottles of rice wine as he believed would take in order to get him tipsy. He downed most of the bottles in only a few gulps.

"You act like that's the only thing in weeks you've been given to drink," the bartender chided while cleaning a glass. Ikkaku wasn't one to rush in order to get drunk. Rather he was the type of person who came at noon, beat up anyone who had money on their person and paid for a day's worth of slow paced and constant drinking.

"Might as well be," he answered.

"I know I shouldn't ask, but who were you taking care of that took damn near five weeks. I thought you were dead."

Ikkaku glared and the bartender nearly dropped the glass he was polishing. "It doesn't concern you. I doubt you even know the man's last name."

"R-right. How careless of me to ask something so personal," he said and excused himself to take care of someone who had just walked in. He always was afraid of Ikkaku's eyes, and if looks were able to kill, nearly anyone whom he laid eyes on would die.

"I have no money," Ikkaku grumbled to himself. He had a good reputation at this bar, of keeping his tab somewhat under control. After all, anyone who walked in was pretty much free game for him to kill and steal their wallets, like walking banks that he never had to pay into.

He was too tired for that, after fighting with Yumichika earlier and already being tipsy enough to feel really dizzy. He hadn't fought in that condition for so long, he wasn't sure if he'd still be able to win against anyone half-way decent.

"Oh, Ikkaku. You look like you've been working hard," some sultry voice said and proceeded to push herself against him. Ikkaku remembered the voice distantly as some fling he'd had nearly a year ago, but she never was more than a hot chick who was stupid enough to believe him when he said he was in love with her. He didn't even remember the name anymore, although he did recall a few good memeories.

"What makes you say that?" Ikkaku replied, trying and failing to not slur his words.

"You look so much stronger," she said wantonly, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing her large breasts to his back. "I didn't know it was possible for you to become even more attractive."

"Is that so?"

"How would you like to come back to my place?" She whispered into his ear.

Ikkaku turned, and although she was wearing revealing clothes, showing her cleavage nearly fall out, with long raven hair cascading over her breasts, and her skin was tanned with sharp contrast to icy blue eyes, Ikkaku swore for a minute he saw Yumichika standing there for a minute, posing provocatively.

He shook his head in disbelief, and when he looked back he saw her, scowling. "Why not? I never knew you to be one to turn down someone with no strings attached throwing themselves at you. What the hell happened to you?"

"I-i-"

"Forget it. It was only flattery, by the way. You look as bald and ugly as you did when we were dating, I only heard from the owner of that sword shop you like so well that you happened across some serious money. I'll find someone else, idiot," she turned on her heels and left, knowing no one else in the bar had more than enough for a few cheap drinks.

Ikkaku, against his will, was becoming hard at the thought of the raven haired man back at his apartment, already forgetting the greedy woman who just left.

Thinking about him sleeping, curled up and so adorable it shouldn't be legal. Or maybe, him fully awake, kissing and rolling around in order to get in his favorite position. Begging for Ikkaku to stop teasing, to just do it-

"No, I'm not thinking of Yumi that way," Ikkaku mumbled to himself and put his head down between his crossed arms, resting on the bar surface.

"Mad about the one who got away?" The bartender, only daring to come back and speak to the dangerous man because he saw the bottle laid over on it's side, empty.

"Shut the hell up."

"I'm sorry, please forgive-"

"Fuck it," Ikkaku growled and walked out, trying to hard his semi-hard member until he got back to the apartment. He knew the bartender was too afraid to stop him and make him pay his tab, and was glad for that.

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God, Ikkaku thought. He looked so perfect when he slept, and Ikkaku was sure he was asleep this time. If he weren't, he'd never allow himself to be in such a position. He was sprawled out across the bed, half covered with a blanket and his mouth was slightly ajar. His chest was rising a falling.

"Ikkaku..." Yumichika said softly.

Shit, he _is _awake. Does this man ever sleep? Ikkaku wondered as his heart skipped a beat.

The man turned slightly in his sleep and let out a seductive moan. "Ikkaku," he repeated.

"He's having a dream," Ikkaku hesitated, hardly believing what he was hearing. "About me?"

"Mm, Ikkaku," Yumichika moaned out again.

If Ikkaku had any doubt about the dream being perverted, they were erased. And if Ikkaku had any doubt about what he was getting ready to do before, they disappeared.

He stumbled over, in a drunken stupor and climbed over top his sleeping beauty.

Yumichika's eyes fluttered open when Ikkaku kissed him passionately, but he wasn't surprised. Or rather, if he was, it wasn't an unpleasant surprise. That was all the encouragement Ikkaku needed, if any at all was required, to continue.

Ikkaku's clumsy drunken hands began to peel the clothing off the man under him, taking a minute to drink in the perfect beauty of the man. Even while completely and totally without clothing, he had no flaw.

With less grace and more anticipation, Ikkaku pulled out his now erect member, forsaking the romantic idea of skin-on-skin contact. He just wanted to do this, nothing else mattered.

"W-wait," Yumichika said. He looked around timidly. Suddenly, he realized his dream had ended some time ago. "Ikkaku?"

"Just shut up and lay down, got it?"

"W-what?"

"Shut up, and lay down."

Yumichika, scared and completely unaware of what was wrong with his closest friend pushed the man away from him and pulled his pants on. "Ikkaku, what the hell is going on?"

"Oh come on, stop acting like that when you were just moaning my name, would you?"

Although Yumichika had an awful habit of developing feelings quickly, and the awful occupation of selling himself to anyone who would pay enough, he refused to let his first time with his crush be so ugly. So awful and ugly, with one of them half asleep and the other so drunk.

"Ikkaku, you're drunk."

"No duh, idiot."

Just as usual, the beautiful was only taken advantage of. He was thought to only be a toy, and Ikkaku had kept him for so long so there would be an illusion of trust. Yumichika cursed himself for thinking at one point that something real could have ever existed between the two.

Using the very fighting moves that Ikkaku had been teaching him all the time he'd been there, Yumichika gave a quick and solid blow to the drunken man's head, effectively knocking him out. After the man was unconscious, Yumichika gathered his things, or what he could carry, and ran as quickly as he could with silent tears pouring from his eyes.

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It wasn't fair. Even the forest, Yumichika saw turned from an ugly, muddy and bland wasteland into something that he considered pretty. White flowers were just budding, a few were early ones in blooming, on the short and impossibly thick trees.

He made it back to his hollow, carrying only a blanket, piece of mirror and katana. The very same one he spent an hour of picking out bugs was re-infested, but he was so upset that he couldn't even find enough interest to pick them out before he sat.

Why? The forest hadn't become beautiful. It wouldn't, either, but it was better, prettier. The most beautiful person in the entire Soul Society was only subject to something that had begun in a beautiful and wonderful way, only to end in the death of what could have been.

For something beautiful to become ugly, it's easy. Accidents and sickness could without effort take everything that had been worked for. But for something ugly to become beautiful, it takes nothing short of a miracle.

His ugly struggle was never to blossom into a wonderful or beautiful thing. Even a caterpillar that goes through it's early life struggling to turn into a butterfly does not become beautiful. If anything their body goes black and becomes more ugly, with flashy wings to adorn itself now, like an ugly person in expensive clothes.

Was it too much? Yumichika wondered. Too much to ask for happiness and to be beautiful as well? He knew all too well, the beautiful only attract the ugly and envious. The perverted and ill-intended masses to pray on the most beautiful of all the flowers.

It was so strange, though. He compared himself to the most beautiful flower in the field, being taken at the height of his perfection. He went willingly, though. He didn't die as a flower whose stem was cut would, but he thought maybe he'd prefer death over being returned to the field he'd been plucked from.

Maybe if he could, he'd want to go back. Convince himself that even as he sat thinking now he was subject to some horrible and ugly dream.

Fooling yourself, though, was an ugly thought.

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Perfection. Did it exist outside the abstract? Ikkaku had thought he had a piece of perfection living with him, but as all great things that came to an end. His drunken stupidity chased away the greatest thing that happened to him. The sad part was that when most people lost happiness, it was due to their gripping it so tightly that it slipped like an oiled marble.

Ikkaku just let go of his grip and let the marble, which he was sure wanted to stay more than anything, and it bounced away, all the while he did nothing to chase after it.

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I expect to add a sequel to this. Maybe. (Yeah, I've said that for all three of my stories... I'm so bad at ending things.)


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